Monday, June 23, 2014

I’ve been growing food since I was 8, when I became known as
“that boy with the garden.” These days, folks know me as the “Man in Overalls.”

Though I like watching things grow, gardening for me has
always been about more than aesthetics. It’s a survival skill-set against
hunger and food insecurity, something — thank God — I have not truly needed.

Starting when I was a child, I began visiting Gramling’s on South Adams Street for seeds, starts, organic fertilizer and environmentally
safe pest products. They learned my name and watched me grow up. These days,
when I stop by, Wayne, their store manager, greets me, “Overalls!” and then
says, “Dirty deeds done dirt cheap,” under his breath. Every time. It still
makes me smile.

I write, generally, to encourage us to spend our dollars
locally, to invest in Main Street, to reclaim our hometown gems, to support the
businesses that know our names. Specifically, I propose that we honor
Gramling’s with our wallets. More than any person or institution I know, they
have enabled us to preserve and further the art of food gardening. For
Tallahassee’s health, for wealth, and for true food security and hunger
prevention, we need Gramling’s around for another 99 years.

[Pay them a visit or give them a ring: 1010 S. Adams Street/Tallahassee. 850.222.4812.]

Monday, June 16, 2014

Although my expenses as Volunteer of the Year are paid for by the Tallahassee Democrat as the local media sponsor of the Jefferson Awards, the expenses of my fellow delegation travelers are not covered. Travel, lodging, and Jefferson Awards registration expenses amount to just over $4500. Please consider a donation. Any and all financial assistance is appreciated. Please make checks payable and send donations to Tallahassee Food Network's 501c3 fiscal agent: Wiley Sunshine Foundation, memo "TFN Delegation" to 1920 Chowkeebin Nene/ Tallahassee, FL 32301.

He's a dedicated public servant, working tirelessly to
create a culture of sustainability in Tallahassee, but he always insists he's
just one part of an enthusiastic team. When he first heard he was nominated to
receive the Tallahassee Democrat's Volunteer of the Year award in social/civic
services, his original thought was, "Can I share this with everyone
else?"

Ballentine — commonly called "The Man in the
Overalls" for his work with the Tallahassee Food Network and clothing
style even at formal occasions — was named Volunteer of the Year in his
category back in May, but he didn't stop there. He was also given the top honor
at the awards luncheon, receiving the Jefferson Award for Public Service and a
trip to Washington D.C.

Of course, he immediately started thinking of ways to bring
the rest of the Tallahassee Food Network with him. The group will travel to
D.C. Friday.

"I'm especially excited because we're going to get to
travel as a team," he said. "We work as a team in everything we do.
We're really excited about representing at a national level and connecting with
other volunteer organizations across the country and learning from them."

The Jefferson Awards Ceremony in D.C. brings together
Jefferson Award winners from 110 media partners in 70 communities nationwide,
according to the website for the awards. The award was created in 1972 and
primarily goes to "unsung" community heroes.

Ballentine, 28, is the co-founder of the Tallahassee Food
Network (TFN), a group that focuses on eliminating childhood obesity and
creating community-based food systems. He's also a coordinator with the youth
empowerment program iGrow Whatever You Like.

He said he's hoping for a future that includes schools
tending their own gardens, new statistics on childhood obesity and neighbors
chatting about new recipes in an easy-to-access community garden.

"I want to see an urban farm educational hub [at the
iGrow Whatever You Like Youth Farm]," he said. "I want to see the
Frenchtown Heritage Market have a permanent location that can be a thriving
central market for the city that connects food and culture and economic
development."

TFN also host's a monthly gathering called "Collards
and Cornbread." The meeting is a chance for people to meet and discuss
possibilities for a sustainable future.

"We're a conduit for folks to connect, especially
across racial, income and geographical lines," Ballentine said. "We
believe everybody has something to bring to the table."

A team of TFN representatives is traveling with Ballentine
to further spread the collective's message. Ballentine's wife, Mary Elizabeth
Ballentine, will travel with him, along with iGrow director Sundiata Ameh-El
and Clarenia White.

"Our delegation's presence at the Jefferson Awards will
provide greater incentive for our youth, our staff and our team to keep working hard because it pays off," Ameh-El said.